Mistakes
by MyWorldDoesn'tEnd
Summary: Death: A five letter word that everyone wants to avoid. But in this world, that task is even harder then before. Before the dead roes you hardly had to worry about death: car accident, plain crash, occasional serial killer. Were your main death threats. Now its the dead. The ones who lost their lives and should forever rest in peace... but peace is a lost concept to this new world.
1. This happend then that and now I'm here

Mistakes  
Prologue

I was a mistake; my parents were barely eighteen when I was born. My mother didn't want me, so my father raised me by himself. My father was a strong man, doing his training to become a police officer while raising his little girl with little to no help. When I was five years old my father fell in love and was soon married. I hated the woman but my father was head over heels for her, so I kept my mouth shut.

When I was eight years old my brother was born, the cursed woman I refused to call mom did nothing for the boy so I practically raised him till he was seven. At that time, I had had enough of the woman and left for the streets. I found a place to call home in the middle of Georgia, where no one would look for me, got a fake ID and became who I wanted to be.

When I was sixteen years of age I fell for a guy. He was a mechanic by trade but loved to go hunting, he taught me all I know about tracking and shooting. But I got pregnant when I was seventeen and he left me. I was lost and went home seeking help from my father. When I knocked on the door the she-devil answered and one thing led to another. I knew which way the wind was going to blow if anyone got hurt, so I left.

I went to another small Georgian town, got a job and worked triple shifts, saving all I could before I gave birth. I had a boy and raised him alone until I was nineteen, then fell for another guy, apparently I didn't loran a good enough lesion with the first one. But this one accepted my son as his own and we were soon engaged.

We postponed the wedding when I got pregnant, then the dead rose. My unborn child's father died in the early days and I managed to survive with a small group until I gave birth, then was sent with my son and newborn daughter out into the world.

We survived well; I was able to hunt small game with the skill I had gained with a bow I managed to pick up. We had stayed away from people over the months but I found a boy and his younger sister last week, at the end of their last group. They claimed to have heard word of a safe place, a prison. They were headed there 'til their group got attacked. I decided to go with them and make sure they stayed safe; damn these motherly instincts.


	2. A safe place

Chapter 1

"Robert, are you sure this is the right road?" I ask, lifting the arrow in my right hand to point down the dirt road.

"Yes I'm sure, Ace," says the boy with shaggy black hair and blue eyes that stands to my right. I sigh and start walking down the dirt road. Mary holds a sleeping Raider, ready to run at a single command.

I was reluctant to let the fourteen-year-old blond, blue-eyed girl carry my baby boy, but it was faster than having him walk, and with me already carrying Samantha-Jay on my back, I was running low on options.

We walk in silence along the road in the shade of overhanging trees. After about twenty minutes, I see an end to the tunnel of trees.

"Please be true," says Mary quietly.

My grip tightens on my bow as the fences come into view. An infected approaches to my right, and Rob gives it quick mercy with his knife.

"Mary walk behind me," I say in a whisper, and she follows my command.

"You hear that?" asks Rob.

"People, engines. Yeah." I breathe.

I feel my heart beat faster as we enter the sunlight, and I see people, living, breathing people wandering around behind the fences. There aren't many infected, maybe twenty in the biggest cluster on the fence line, and other than them, only a couple of stragglers are spread along the fence line. Someone must have spotted us because people start yelling at each other, then us.

"If you want through the gates holster your weapons," demands a man's voice, but I don't see where it comes from.

"Okay," I say, slowly lowering my arrow into my thigh quiver. Rob puts his knife in its sheath.

"Are there only four of you?" asks a Korean man from the top of the gates' guard tower.

"Five," I correct, "my daughter is on my back," I add as we reach the gates. The gates open and I take Raider from Mary, pushing her to stand by Rob.

The gates clang behind us and there are three people there to meet us, a woman with short brown hair, a man with a crossbow and shaggy brown hair, and another woman with dark skin, dreadlocks and a katana strapped to her back. After a moment of staring at each other in silence the doors to the watch tower open and the Korean man exits.

"We have questions to be answered before you can be allowed any further," says the dark woman, as the Korean stands next to the other woman.

"It's only a precaution," assures the other woman.

"It's okay," I say, understanding the reason for precaution.

"How many walkers have you killed?" ask the Korean.

"Ya' mea' the infected?" I ask, brow crinkling slightly.

"Yeah, we call them walkers," says the brown haired woman.

"Okay well… too many to count. A couple hundred at least," I say, trying to work out if that's a good answer or not.

"Whadbout ya' boy?" asks the man with the crossbow, in a southern accent a bit thicker than my own.

"Maybe two dozen or so," says Rob, shrugging.

"I've only put two down," says Mary quietly.

"How many people have you killed?" ask the woman with the sword.

"One," sighs Rob sadly.

"None," says Mary, shaking her head.

They look at me for my answer, "Um… three wome' and nine men." The words hang in the air for a second or so.

"Why?" ask crossbow.

"Mercy for my father," says Rob, giving me time to think of an answer.

I sigh "Two women and a man were outta mercy. The others were bad people… I had no other options…"

They look at each other for a moment and share a slight nod. "Okay…" starts the Korean. "Well, welcome. I'm Glenn, this is Maggie my wife. And Michonne and Daryl, what are your names?"

"Thank you," says Rob smiling. "I'm Robert and this is my sister Mary," he says, placing a hand on the small girl's shoulder.

"I go by Ace this is m' son Raider and…" pulling the cloth over my shoulders off, "daughter Samantha-Jay."

"You are allowed to keep your bow and knifes but we need all guns handed over," says Maggie. I look to Rob and he shows the same confusion.

"We don't got guns," I say, confused at the asking.

"Don't play stupid girl, everyone has a gun these days," says Daryl.

"Daryl!" snaps Maggie.

"It's fine. But we don't have any guns, it would be a death sentence firing one of 'em, these days," I assure, looking back to the gate as an infected starts to bang against the gates.

"Okay then… We'll have to put you in different cell blocks due to the children," says Maggie and quickly adds, "it's so any crying won't wake more than one cell block. We have toddlers in cell block C so I'll take you and your children there and Glenn will take you two to cell block B."

We follow Maggie and Glenn up the gravel road. "So how long have you known each other?" ask Glenn.

"Two weeks, I found 'em at the ending of their last group," I inform.

"Yeah Ace saved our asses big time, we were goners till she showed up. I am forever in her debt," says Rob.

"You must be strong to have been able to survive with children, did you have a group?" Maggie ask me.

"I found a small group in the first weeks but they kicked me ou' after I had Samantha-Jay, couldn't blame them though," I smile at the sight of children playing in the courtyard and the smell of meat cooking catches my nose.

We part ways at the entrance of C block and Rob gives me my backpack. "How long 'ave you been 'ere for?" I ask Maggie as we enter the building.

"I was one of the original group that cleared this place of walkers, it has been probably just over a year ago now," Maggie answers solemnly.

"This 's a great accomplishment," I say on entrance to a room, with one wall lined in cells.

"It wasn't easy," she says, leading me up the stairs and to the right.

"Nothing is these days," I sigh.

We stop at the last cell – '50'

"This one is all yours, I'll go grab a spare crib. Be right back," she smiles, leaving.

I walk into the cell and can't help but have a chuckle. Lori always said I'd end up here. I place Raider, who has been sound asleep for the last few hours, down on the bottom bunk. I sit my backpack on the small chest of drawers, then I undo my quiver and slide off my bow placing them on the steel shelf on the wall. I sit at the base of the bed and undo Sami-Jay's harness, slowly lowering her on the bed.

I stand and smile at her sleeping face.

"Heavy sleepers," says Maggie. I look at the cell entrance to see her and another woman with short grey hair holding a blue plastic crib filed with various things from toys to clothes, both baby and some that look like they're for me.

"Nothing wakes 'em two," I say, moving back in the cell so they can fit the crib in the spare spot against the wall. "Y'all are way too generous."

"No such thing. Hi I'm Carol," I shake the new woman's hand.

"Ace, this 's Raider and Samantha-Jay," I say gesturing to each of them.

"God they're gorgeous. Ace, what's that short for?" she asks, out of the blue.

"Athena, but I haven't gone by that since I was fiftee'," I say looking to the stuff in the crib. "I haven't had this much stuff in years."

"Well we'll let you get settled and when you're done we can show you where the showers are," says Maggie.

"You have runnin' showers?" I ask, shocked.

"Yep," she says, leaving me in shock.

I laugh and start going through the crib. I take out the clothes and start filling the drawers, top drawer for me, the second for Radar, the third for Sami-Jay and in the fourth I stash some of the toys, leaving a few plush deer and an octopus in the crib. I put the other bits and pieces where I see fit.

Once that's done I open my backpack and pull out the few things that I have left of my old life. There's a waterproof bag filled with photos. I look at the bare wall in front of me, and smile. I pull the photos out and sit them on the top of the dresser, then grab a roll of tape from my bag and start taping photo after photo on the wall. I know I'm moving in here too fast but I would rather have a place feel like home for one night then live in nothing for the rest of my days.

Once I'm down to the last one I smile at all the happy moments. Their first ultrasound, Raider's birth, there's one of Seth tattooing my back, some of when I was fourteen at parties with my then BFF Samantha. The oldest one is from when my brother was born. It has dad and Lori sitting on the hospital bead, a blue blanket in dad's arms. I tape up the last photo of me with a just-showing baby bump from Sami-Jay.

"Mummy," I hear a tired voice behind me, snapping me out of my memories.

I look around and see Raider rubbing his tired eyes.

"Yeah babe," I say softly.

"Where are we?" he asks.

"A safe place babe, a safe place." I smile.

 _ **#Please review, it really means the world to hear what you think of my work, wether its good or bad, love to hear#**_


	3. New freinds and old family

Chapter 2

After I was done with decorating, Maggie and Carol helped me bath the kids, then I had one of the best showers of my life. I changed into a blue long-sleeved V-neck and denim shorts. Sami-Jay is in the sweetest pink onesie, and Raider wears jeans and a red shirt.

Maggie is taking us to get food. I carry a giggly Sami-Jay and Raider walks, using Maggie's hand as a stabiliser. We walk out into the courtyard over to a man-made wooden shelter that looks like the kitchen area with a large service bench covered with stacks of bowls and plates, and fighting utensils. I see Carol smiling as she stirs a large pot. She is talking to the crossbow guy; Daryl I think was his name.

"Hey Carol, can we get three servings, please?" asks Maggie.

"Sure," says Carol, grabbing three bowls and ladling some stew and veggies into them. "Ace, I saw you had a bow in your cell, are you any good at hunting?"

"Bette' than good," I smile, taking a full bowl.

"What weight?" asks Daryl. Maggie and Carol look confused by the question.

"Eighty, it's not as good as my first ninety-five, was but it works fine for squirrels, birds and- infected," I say with a smile as I hear my southern redneck accent thicken, and he nods.

Maggie takes the other two bowls and leads me to one of the picnic tables. There are already two people sitting there, one I recognise as Glenn, the other is a young blonde girl. Maggie sits next to Glenn, Raider sits next to Maggie and I sit down next to him.

"Ace, this is my sister Beth," introduces Maggie. Beth looks to me and smiles happily.

"Hi… oh she is so cute, what's her name?" asks Beth looking at the little giggly girl in my left arm.

"Samantha-Jay, do you what to hold her?" she nods happily, taking the offer. Beth sways Sami-Jay softly in her arms like a real pro.

"So what do you think of this place so far?" asks Glenn after I have finished eating. Sami-Jay is sleeping in Beth's arms and Raider is sitting happily on my lap clanging two spoons together and laughing at the noise.

"It's amazing. Not to say that there are a few things that should be improved… but it's still the safest place I've seen for some time," I say.

"What do you think needs improving?" asks Maggie. She is smiling so I know it's not an offensive question, just curiosity.

"Well… the fences. The second one should be covered with tin or wood, something that will block the infected's view so they don't get as riled up, and if people were to attack with guns then it would provide protection for inside."

"Good idea, we'll have to bring that up in a council meeting. Do you have any other ideas?" ask Glenn with an intrigued glint to his eyes.

"Yeah, well… the trees need thinning. This place could get surrounded in a second without you even knowing, so if you could cut down the trees then they can be used to build up the fences." they nod approvingly. "Also, those pigs need to go, they carry diseases, some so bad they can kill people. People would get infected and come back, and this place belongs to the dead again."

"You've been thinking this through," says Beth.

"I want my children to be safe, and not just for a week or month, for a lifetime, times two. Also I think there should be fruit trees planted. They may take a while to get growing but once they have fruit it would be worth it, with how much longer they live than vegetables." They all nod. "And I was thinking if we could cage off an area of the field, we could catch some ducks. I can cut their wings so they won't fly away and they will breed like rabbits with the right food. One month you could have six, three months later you could have forty ready for the cook pot."

"Girl's got a point." I turn and see Daryl a few feet behind me. "Bring her to the council meeting tomorrow," he tells Maggie then walks off towards the cell blocks.

"Has he been standin' there the whole time?" I ask.

"Who knows," says Maggie with a smile. "Well, it's been a big day and I'm sure you are exhausted, so why don't we get the kids back to your cell?"

Maggie stands, as do I. Glenn takes the empty dishes over to the wooden shelter. Beth stands with a still sleeping Sami-Jay in her arms, and Raider is on my hip. We start walking back to cell block C.

"How old are you, Ace?" asks Beth. "Not to be rude but, you just look too young to have a… four-year-old son," she adds hesitantly.

"It's fine, I'm… twenty-one, no twenty-two. Yeah that sounds close," I smile and kiss his forehead.

"So you would have been… seventeen," says Maggie.

"Yep got kicked out of home at fifteen, found the love of my life at sixteen, got pregnant by seventeen, then the bastard left me, so I raised Raider alone, working double shifts at whatever job I could get to, then I fell in love again at nineteen. Bloke accepted Raider as his own and we were soon engaged. Then I got pregnant and the dead rose, just my luck." We have reached the cell by this point.

"You're a real survivor," says Maggie.

"Life was never meant to be easy." There are a few people in here that weren't earlier, and Maggie guides me towards a table where an elderly man sits reading a book.

"Dad," says Maggie, getting the man's attention, "this is Ace; Ace this is my dad Hershel."

"It's nice to meet you." He offers his hand and I shake it. "What beautiful children, are they yours?" he asks.

"Yeah this is Raider and Beth's holding Samantha-Jay," I say with a friendly smile.

"What a treasure in these times," he smiles. I hear a baby's cry and instinctually turn to Sami-Jay but she is still fast asleep.

"Oh that's Judith, come with me and I will introduce you to her and her dad. He was the one that found the prison," says Beth, leading me along the bottom row of cells, stopping in front of cell '22', the third from the end. The crying has stopped now.

"Hey Rick," says Beth into the cell.

"Hey Beth… just because I took Judith for the day didn't mean you had to find another kid," the man's voice sounds familiar, it couldn't be…

"This is Samantha-Jay; I just wanted to introduce you to her mum," Beth returns with a smile. Out of the cell walks a man that I thought I would never see again. He looks older, but it's him. He smiles at me but it's not an 'I recognise you' smile it's a 'nice to meet you' smile.

"Hi, I'm Rick Grimes," he says, offering his hand. I smile and take it.

"I go by Ace, but you might remember me as Athena, Mae, Grimes."

The look on his face is priceless, like he's seen a ghost.

And lord knows he has.

 _ **#Please review, it really means the world to hear what you think of my work, wether its good or bad, love to hear#**_


	4. I like to talk

Chapter 3

A hundred different emotions cross his face at once. Rick looks me up and down and shakes his head, non-believingly.

"Grimes," breathes Beth. "You're related?" she questions, looking back and forth between us.

"He _was_ my father," I drawl out the 'was'.

"You were the one that left, Athena. You… you…" Rick shakes his head again. "Why did you leave? How did you get here? You… you look so grown up. You have kids? Why didn't you come home?" with each question his words got quitter.

I shack my head in disgust "What that bitch tell ya'?!"

"Don't you dare call her that, she was always a mother to you even when you were an ungrateful drunk!" Oh no he didn't.

"The only reason I even started drinking was to dull the pain of the bruises she gave me, and don't ya' ever say she was a mother. I raised myself and then _I_ raised Carl, even when I would pass out drunk _I_ would be up in the morning to make him breakfas' and get him off to school. Then _I_ would ditch school, not to do drugs, like that bitch said, but to do the house work, so the ungrateful bitch could live her second life and _you,_ and Carl wouldn't be living in a sty with no food, clean clothes and everythin' else that mattered back then."

He didn't know how to respond and I wasn't waiting to find out.

I walk to a shocked Beth and take Sami-Jay in my spare arm. Then I waste no time getting back to my cell. I put both kids in the crib and Raider cuddles Sami-Jay close to him. I rub my temples and take a sit on the bed. I don't know how much time has passed before someone clears their throat at the cells entrance.

I lift my head from my hands. I don't know who I was expecting to see, but I can be sure it wasn't Daryl. "Sorry for the yelling, it won't happe' again," I look at the crib and see the kids haven't moved an inch.

"Not here for a sorry. Don't blame ya for yelling at 'em," Daryl says and I look up at him.

"Then why ya' here?" I ask impatiently.

"I'm here ta' tell ya' that's not the same Rick ya' know from before, he's-" I cut him off.

"Yeah seven years of living with that bitch would change 'em," I scoff.

"Ya' ma' died giving birth to sister, don't think that makes her that much of a bitch," he raises his voice slightly.

I laugh and can't stop from smiling like a loony.

"She wasn't my ma'. She didn't start wrecking my life till I was four. And she didn't die on purpose, did she. It was a C-section, wasn't it?" I laugh.

"What's wrong with ya'?"

"Karma's a bitch. She didn't have to have Carl as a C-section. She was too pussy to put up with the pain so she ordered it," I laugh again, "and let me guess Rick ain't sure he's the father. Right?" he raises an eyebrow at me – 'right'.

"How ya' know that?"

"The bitch had a second life, always swapping spit with Rick's cop partner, what was his name…" I ponder.

"Shane," he answers, and I laugh again.

"Yeah that's him. Whenever Rick was working late – always, Shane would be over. It slowed the older Carl got, Lori would threaten me whenever I called her out so I kept my mouth shut, but she was nearly caught by Carl a few times so they had to lay low."

"She really hit ya'?" he asks.

"Yep… I would end up black and blue all over. Couldn't fight back though. One time I did, she got scratched and went crying to Rick. The mea' reason I left home was coz one day when I was cooking dinner and she came up to me saying I was doing all wrong, I had a knife and owe- shit you don't know how much I wanted to stab her. If Carl didn't walk in I would have," I sigh. "Carl's still alive right?"

"Yeah, kid's still going strong," he says eyeing the photos on the wall.

I go to talk but Sami-Jay crying interrupts. I jump up off the bed, pick her out of the crib and start soothing her as quick as I can. "What happen to their pa?" Daryl ask as Sami-Jay quietens.

"Radar's dad left me the second he heard I was knocked up, and Sami-Jay's dad did himself over in the outbreaks first weeks, coward," I hiss the last word.

"Must o' been hard, out there with two lilies," Daryl said, causing me to scoff and look his way.

"You have no idea, but it was a fuck ton harder before shit hit the fan… I was working three jobs trying to put food on the table, coz my ass of a boyfriend quit his job coz it wasn't his _passion._ " I roll my eyes at the memory. "He really thought serving drinks to a bunch of smoking, drunk off their ass men was my _passion_."

"Why ya' stick with 'im then?"

"Found out I was pregnant, and when I told him the prick went out and bought me a rock that could have bought my trailer three times over." I put a calm Sami-Jay back in the crib next to her brother. I know she will be hungry soon and it wouldn't amaze me if she's crying again this hour.

"Ya say yes?" he asks.

"Yep," I say, popping the p. "Next day I went to the pawn shop in town and cashed it, just wore an old cheaper ring I had lying around. But that was just as the news reports started. Prick did himself in soon after," I snarl.

"…Ya' never thought of goin' home?"

"I did go home… when I found out I was pregnant the first time, I went home on my hands and knees. Bitch answered the door, told me every curse in the book. When I said I would wait till Rick got home she raised her hand to me and I was out of there. I had to give up drinken', smoken', drugs, dancing and more coz I was pregnant… I was not letting her hurt me and risk hurting my baby, so I was out of there, never looked back." I look up from my feet to look at Daryl. "If ya don't mind I'm sick of questions and want to get some shut eye before the crying starts again."

"That ky', night," he says, turning and walking away.

"Night," I sigh as I lay back on the bed.

 _ **#Please review, it really means the world to hear what you think of my work, wether its good or bad, love to hear#**_


	5. Bye ya'll

Chapter 4

I woke up two times during the night for feeding and changings. Maggie came to my cell an hour or so after first light and helped me change the kids and get to breakfast. Beth took the kids after I was done eating and Maggie brought me to an office room that had been cleared fully besides a circle of a dozen chairs.

Maggie introduces me to Sasha, who is the only person in the room I haven't met yet. The council consists of Hershel, Maggie, Glenn, Daryl, Carle, Michonne, Sasha and last but not least, Rick.

The room is silent. I sit between Maggie and Carle. Rich is directly across from me with a scowl on his face.

"What's she doing here?" he growls.

"Girl's got thoughts about what needs doing around 'ere," say Daryl. He stands off to the side not comfortable being close to so many people.

"Ace, why don't you tell everyone what you told us yesterday," says Glenn from the other side of Maggie.

"Well…"

I tell them all my thoughts on what needs to be done to keep this place going strong for a long time. I get concurring and approving nods and hums from the group, that is, everyone but Rick.

As soon as I'm finished my last thought Rick has complaints.

"How are we supposed to stay outside the fences long enough to cut the trees and how, axes and saws would take forever, and if we could find chainsaws, they're too loud. And how far out are we meant to go-" I cut off his irritating rant.

"Wire the trees further out, that should slow the dead. Get a good system going, two men sawing should have a tree down in half an hour tops. Get weaker or more tired people to trim the trees branches and cut the small tops off. All the cut-offs can be stacked and will dry out good for fire starters. Use the cars, and horse to drag the logs into the field where they can be sliced and chopped," I say calmly.

"How are some wires supposed to stop the walkers?" he returns.

"I said slow, not stop. Have a person every couple of meters with sword or knife-" he cuts me short.

"And where are you getting all those people from?" I sigh before assuring him.

"Two people a tree, three trees at a time, so six people. Wire twenty meters at a time, so a person six or so meters, so four, four, two, two… so eighteen people or less." I lean back a bit more in my chair as Rick stands and starts pacing, running a frustrated hand through his hair.

"And when a horde comes though?"

"Return to the prison, clean them off at the fences and go back." He stops still glaring daggers at me.

"And what make you think you can just waltz in here and make demands, what makes you think we have the time for this?"

"There is no time anymore, there is nothing to be late or early for. And I did not waltz in here and these are not demands, they're my opinion on what can help this place last." Rick shakes his head and storms past me and out the door.

"I'm sorry for his actions, Ace. You didn't deserve to be talked to like that," says Hershel.

"Everyone has their right to their owe' opinion" I say, ever so calmly.

"I like the thoughts on the fences, but do we really have to get rid of the pigs? Are they really that dangerous?" asks Sasha.

"In my opinion one pig carries a hundred diseases, in most of yours they carry a hundred meals," I shrug, "it's just an opinion."

"We haven't found any nurseries in the area, how are we meant to find fruit trees?" asks Maggie.

"Backyard greenhouses would be thriving, they're the best bet," I answer.

"You have an answer for every question?" asks Michonne.

"You have a question for every answer?" I return, and she shows me a ghost of a smile.

"Touché." I smile at her return.

"So you know a bit about farming?" asks Hershel after a moment of silence.

"No," I shrug, "I'm just a survivor surviving." I chuckle.

"Aren't we all," says Carle.

"You have all worked hard to build a world 'ere where people will be safe for however long it last, but… I don't think this 's the place for me. I'm leaving in a couple hours," I say.

"Where does that come from? You need to rest, you need a safe place for your children, it's not safe for you out there," say Maggie.

"If this is about Rick, he-" I cut Glenn off.

"No it's not Rick. This place just isn't what I'm lookin' for, it's not a home… it's just four walls and a roof. I want a house where my kids can have a more realistic life, and I feel it's out there somewhere, just waiting for me. I have never been one for havin' faith but I tried to make this place home and truth is… I slept better in a tree for the last year then I did last night."

"You would risk your children's lives for a life you know very well doesn't exist," snarls Sasha.

"Life is what you make it and I'm making it better one place at a time," I say, standing and walking to leave.

"Life," I hear Daryl mutter.

"Life's a bitch but so am I," I call back as I exit the room and go to pack.

 _ **#Please review, it really means the world to hear what you think of my work, wether its good or bad, love to hear#**_


	6. Apples

Chapter 5

It has been over two months since I left the prison. Maggie and Glenn showed me to the gate just before mid-day. I had wished luck to Rob and Mary after I left the council meeting, then packed all our belongings plus a few things I was given and Carol forced me to take a two litre bottle of water and a couple cans of food.

As we were leaving Michonne cornered me and told me I changed her thoughts on this place and showed her that she needed to stay with her people. She wanted me to take her chestnut mare. I declined her, but she insisted that the mare was no use to her anymore and I could use it to move faster and safer with the children. I thanked her dearly, and said I would repay her later in life.

Even though the chances of meeting someone twice in this world were rare, I had a feeling we would all meet again.

I never saw Carl; I didn't speak with Rick again. I did however leave a letter with Maggie to give to Rick. To sum it up the letter was my life-story and me hoping that the letter answers his questions, and saying if we meet again that we leave the past in the past. I also left the photo from the day Carl was born, showing him who his family really was.

Maggie and Glenn asked me to reconsider a hundred times but I kept declining. I wished them luck, and rode out of there with Raider's arms wrapped around my back and Sami-Jay strapped to my front. I never considered turning back, knowing deep down it wasn't the place for me.

I would never say it was easy out on the road, but we survived, day by day, week by week. I named the chestnut mare Apples, coz on the first day of riding just going whichever direction she wanted, she leads us to a large field that had a huge apple tree filed with ripe, red apples. We stayed at that field for two days. I stockpiled as many apples as possible and filled an empty can with apple seeds.

I never had a true destination so I just let Apples go her way, which after months of raiding and walking, led us here… Washington DC.

I stand next to Apples, reins in hand, Raider sits on her back with Sami-Jay in his arms. They have grown so much in the last couple of months. I have been teaching Raider his letters and numbers. He's such a smart kid, each day as we walk I have him repeat things back to me. He knows the alphabet. I found some kids' books in a house last week and I help him read them to pass the day.

Samantha-Jay has started to walk, that is when we stop over at a house for a night and she doesn't have to be held for fear of having to run at any second. She hasn't talked yet and probably won't for a while. If I can remember right babies start talking around eighteen months, and I estimate Sami-Jay at being thirteen months, something like that. I'm hoping to stumble across a parenting book soon. I never had time to read one the first time around, and I wonder if there's a part about raising kids in the apocalypse.

"Mummy, where are we?" asks Raider, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Washington DC. This was where the president of the United States lived. He was the man in charge of making the rules." We are on a mountain road that overlooks the most of DC. It didn't fare too well, with clear fire and bomb damage. "That big long white building over there," I say pointing, "is the White House, that's where the president lived." I don't know whether I should use past or present tense, was or is, lived or lives. Who knows.

"You know everything mummy." I smile up at my boy. He would have to be almost five years old now, and he is the spitting image of his father. His black hair is shaggy from never having a proper cut, skin tanned from hours in the sun, and his eyes are the darkest blue; spitting image of his Daddy.

"Not everything… but enough." I tug on Apple's lead and continue up the road. "And I will teach you everything I know. How's that sound?"

"Can I learn how to shoot a bow?" I chuckle and shake my head.

"One day, one day." We continue in silence for an hour or so. I take out three infected with my machete in this time. It's mid-day and the sun is baking us. We're on a straight stretch of road now, edged by forest. I would walk in the shade of the trees if the grass wasn't so long, but it's too risky to have a rotting infected bite Apples on the leg, or, maybe worse, me.

"Mummy we're almost out of water," Raider informs me, shaking our last bottle of water. There is half an inch of liquid left in it.

"We'll find some soon babe, keep your eyes peeled for a driveway. Might be overgrown and rundown but it's the best shot." We haven't found a viable water source in over a week, all the rivers have run dry in the past month. "Tell me the alphabet, haven't done that today."

"A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H… I, J, K, L… M, N, O, P, Q… R… S… T… U… V… W… Oh"

"No babe X you already said O-" I correct.

"No, no, sign. What's it say Mummy, what it say?" I look over to where Raider is eagerly pointing with his free hand. The other hand holds close a quiet Sami-Jay happily sucking her dummy.

The sign has half fallen over and is faded but I can make out the title and a picture of a house. "Alexandria, The start of… sustainability."

"What's that mean Mummy?"

"Um… it must have been a new suburb. A suburb is a group of houses," I clarify to his confused head tilt.

"What's Su-sustan…abowoty mean?" I chuckle at his pronunciation.

"Sustainability, means self-reliant, not needing help from the outside world. Sustainability mmm…" Depending on how close to finished the it was there could be solar power set up, clean water maybe. I'm sure I could rig a panel to a power box and get water running if they weren't rusted. And if it was still in the process of being built there shouldn't be too many infected around.

"What are you thinking Mummy?"

"Too much and not enough, babe," Well it couldn't hurt to look, could it?

 _ **#Please review, it really means the world to hear what you think of my work, wether its good or bad, love to hear#**_


	7. Bight my lip and bat my eyelids

Chapter 6

I didn't see this happening today, or maybe ever – it being possible to sit in a million-dollar house that shows no signs of the outside world having been destroyed. I hoped it was possible, but never thought it would be. Apparently I wasn't the first person to think Alexandrea sounds like the place to be.

It was apparently founded in the early days of the outbreak and quickly secured by great walls. I was stunned at first sight, so safe looking, nothing like the prison, so much more… homey. I was greeted with open doors. I placed it on me having kids, the man at the gate was so taken aback by the young faces, he was as speechless as I was.

Now I'm sitting in their leaders' perfect living room waiting for an audition, to see if I'm good for their community. I'm bouncing a fussy Samantha-Jay on my lap and watching Raider lead Apples across the road by a small dam.

"Hello." I turn to see a woman in her late fifties standing in the door way holding a camera and stand.

"Hello, your Alexandrea's leader?" I ask, not knowing what else to say.

She smiles and nods, walking in and taking the seat across from me. "You can call me Deanna; do you mind if I record this interview?" What a strange question.

"I… guess not. Not like I can say something stupid and you post it on the internet."

She chuckles lightly. Setting up the camera then leaning back in her chair with her hands folded in her lap, she doesn't look like someone that has been outside these walls before and I don't think she has. Why leave safety? My only complaint about this place is that it looks so quiet, too quiet… weak but I can fix that, I will fix that.

"So what are your names?" she smiles, looking at Sami-Jay.

"I'm Athena but my friends called me Ace. This is my daughter Samantha-Jay but I call her Sami-Jay for short and my son Raider is outside walking Apples, our horse." Her smile grows to a trusting one and I know I have her right where I want her.

"It must have been hard out there with such young children," she says, more to herself than me.

"The people in the world might have changed a bit but the end concept of life hasn't, we still survive everyday looking for better, working for a safe place. I was always told if life was easy you aren't living right; have you ever heard that saying?"

"No I can't say I have, but you sound like a very intelligent young lady." You don't know how hard it is not to laugh at that analysis. "What did you do before the outbreak?"

"What didn't I do?" Really, what? "I started work at a young age as a waiter," in a bar. "I was an acrobatics/ dance instructor," stripper that showed the girls at the club how to get more tips. "I worked in a mechanic shop for a while, and would go hunting with friends on the weekend. My best high school friend's dad owned a cabin," my fiends sixty-year-old boyfriend owned a tent and a lot of guns, "in the mountains and we practically lived," truck brock down and we got strained, more then once, "there on the weekends," I can't believe she's buying ever word of this bull shit.

"So you can hunt?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty decent with a bow," I shrug. "I have just started up again when I found one a couple months back. I was out of the game for a few years, with becoming a single mum and then the outbreak and all." Her expression turns to hurt and pity. Perfect.

"Oh Ace, I'm so sorry. I…" she shakes her head lightly. "I think you will be a great addition here." She shuts off the camera and stands. "Why don't I show you to your new home?" she says as I rise to my feet as well.

"Thank you so much, my children really deserve a place like this." Shit, wrong choice of words, I scold myself as we walk outside.

"You don't deserve a place like this?" God this chick's good. Think quick.

"I have heaps of happy memories from before – they don't, but they need them if they're going to grow up and be happy additions to the world." Safe. She gives an understanding nod as we start to walk down the road.

"Come on Raider," I call, and both him and Apples lift their heads in my direction then jogs to catch up.

"Who she Mummy?" he asks once they catch up.

"This is Deanna," I answer with a friendly smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Raider." Deanna smiles down to the little boy and he smiles back. "It's a pretty horse you have there," she says as we round a corner.

"It's nice to meet you too Miss Deanna," he says, so sweetly she chuckles lightly as Raider continues talking. "The horse's name is Apples, she's a thar- thara…"

"Thoroughbred," I tell him.

"Yeah, Yeah. She's a Thoroughbred mare and mummy says we're going to find Apples a boyfriend and then they can have baby and then I get my ow' pony, do you have horse here?" His eyes are alight with happiness. I always tell him bedtime stories about a place like this. I think he knows without me saying that he is safe here.

"No," she sighs, and Raider's shoulders slouch slightly. "But we always see horses outside the gates. We have been trying to catch one recently," she adds quickly, and he perks up a tad. "You know some about horses?" she asks, looking back at me.

"I worked on a ranch for a summer, while I was doing a veterinarian course." Or in other words I worked on a drug farm, and had to ride horses out to check crops. And my boss had a thing for vet shows.

"Well you're really the jack of all trades," Deanna says, stopping in front of one of the larger homes to the left end of town. "This one is yours."

It's an off-the-ground two-story, light cream weatherboard with fresh white trim. There are two lush garden beds on either side of the front steps, and to the right side of the house there's a tall, white wooden panelled gate for the backyard.

"It's amazing, thank you so much," I say sweetly to Deanna.

"This house should be a good fit for you. Apples can stay in the back yard, it's one of the largest in Alexandrea and has a large tree for shelter. There are clothes and things inside for you but you'll have to talk to Olivia about things for the kids and you will probably need buckets for Apples. Olivia is in charge of keeping track of our supplies. If you go straight up that road," Deanna says, pointing to the next turn off up ahead, the second to the end, "and take the second left you should be right there. Can't miss it, and if you do, ask anyone for directions, I'm sure everyone will be happy to see new faces," she smiles.

"Umm, okay thank you." I place my empty hand on Raider's right shoulder.

"No problem, I'll let you go get settled," Deanna says, and goes to walk back the way we came, but not before saying, "I would like to speak with you tomorrow morning. Come by my house around eight and we can talk over breakfast." Then she walks away.

"Okay, we'll be there then," I say to myself more than anyone else.

"Mummy is this the place in your stories?" Raider asks, looking up at me with big blue eyes.

"Yeah babe, this is it."

 _ **#Please review, it really means the world to hear what you think of my work, wether its good or bad, love to hear#**_

 _ **#Sorry it took so long to update but I haven't been in a TWD mood for a while but I do have the next few chapters written out and will update by next week it if I can git a review or two :)#**_

 _ **#Have a good day/ night and thanks for reading#**_


	8. New chapter

Chapter 7

The house Deanna gave us is bigger than anything I could have ever afforded before the apocalypse. There are two living rooms, an office, kitchen, dining room, laundry room, and bathroom on the bottom floor. It's only lightly furnished with the more important pieces of furniture, being kitchen appliances like a microwave and fridge, and sofas, bookshelves, dining table and chairs. But the bathroom and laundry are fully stocked with towels, blankets, and cleaning products.

The upstairs feels even bigger. Five bedrooms, one of which is a master with its own walk-in wardrobe and bathroom. There are also two other bathrooms on the top floor. But the top floor is even barer with only a king size bed in the master, and a single in the room next door. But the walk-in wardrobe is stocked with clothes of various colours and sizes.

The whole house is done in shades of cream and whites; it looks too clean. I couldn't dare to wear my old boots on the glossy light wood flooring. I walk to the back of the house where the spacious kitchen is. It has marble countertops and glossy white cabinets. The room is light and bright with one wall fully made of glass sliding doors that lead out onto a large deck in the back yard.

I go out into the backyard where Raider is playing with Sami-Jay and Apples is munching happily on the lush green grass. The sun shows me it's around four in the afternoon.

"Raider I'm going to go get cleaned up then we're going to go for a walk, okay?" he looks over to me with a happy-go-lucky smile on his face.

"Okay mummy."

No more searching, this is the place for us, I have to tell myself. In the hour or so we have been here Raider has been happiest I have seen him since… I can't remember. I jog upstairs and into the walk-in wardrobe. I pick a pair of jeans and a red t-shirt that look like they will fit and throw a pair of flip-flops out that I can wear till I can clean my boots. I checked the taps and lights when I first entered the house and to my excitement there's running water and working lights.

I go to the master bathroom and have one of the shortest yet most refreshing showers of my life, washing off layer after layer of blood and mud. But once I deem myself clean enough I get out, knowing I will have to go see this Olivia person before nightfall so the kids will have clean clothes and hopefully food. The kitchen was completely empty.

It's probably no more than 15 minutes before I'm back down stairs. Raider and Sami-Jay are nowhere near as dirty as I was, they hardly ever get off Apples unless it's to go into a house. I walk down the two steps from the porch to the yard and Sami-Jay pushes away from Raider and comes towards me in hard and shaky steps, with her small arms raised. I pick up the cooing child and hug her to my side.

"Come on Raider," I say when we reach the gate.

"What about Apples?" he asks.

"She'll be safe here till we get back, come on babe," I say opening the gate hatch.

Raider bites his bottom lip then gives himself a reassuring nod. He runs out the gate and I shut it behind us.

We walk up the road Deanna pointed to. It's lined with smaller, closer houses, all in creams and whites, with very floral gardens. As we near the first corner a woman in her thirties, with pale skin, short blonde hair and a friendly smile rounds the corner. "Oh you must be the new arrivals. Hi I'm Jessie." The woman extends a hand to me and I put on a friendly smile.

"Hello I'm Athena but friends call me Ace. This is Samantha-Jay and that's Raider." I bounce Sami-Jay on my hip as we stand still.

"Oh my, when Nick said two young kids, I was thinking… I don't know what I was thinking. God it's amazing to see a baby, I never thought I would see one again," she gazes at Sami-Jay with adoring eyes.

"You have children?" I ask.

"Yeah, two sons. Ron is fifteen and Sam's ten, oh and my husband Pete Anderson, he's Alexandria's doctor."

"Wow, a doctor, few and far between these days."

"Yeah…" she sighs. "Well if you need anything just let me know."

"Oh if it wouldn't be a bother, would you mind showing me to Olivia? Deanna said she could help me with getting some new clothes for the kids, and the directions I got were kind of vague."

"Sure, right this way." I follow her back up the road she just came down.

"So how long have you and your family been here?"

"Since almost the start. We were going on a family vacation when the outbreak started. Found this place just after Deanna. How long have you been out there alone?"

"It was just me and Raider for the first few months, then we found a decent group and I stayed with them till I had Sami-Jay. We've been by ourselves since then, the odd group or one or two people here and there, but I hadn't found a place good enough for my children. That is until now…"

 _ **#Please review, it really means the world to hear what you think of my work, wether its good or bad, love to hear#**_

 _ **#PM me if you have any questions or thoughts on what will happen, bc I am kind of stuck on the next chapter so it will probably be a whole till I update again, sorry#**_

 _ **#Have a good day/ night and thanks for reading#**_


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